Goodbye
by Tvmatchmaker795
Summary: They had to go back home… Elsa had to go back home and become Queen again. Emma knew that. But she isn't good at goodbyes.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, I'm finally back! I've enjoyed most of this season (excluding the lack of ****creativity in writing the lines that are very similar to that of Frozen). I couldn't really find a story that hones in on the exceptional friendship that was created between Elsa and Emma so I wrote one!**

**I did NOT write this to be romantic between the two of them, in any way.**** Just pure, adulterated friendship. Enjoy and please review! :)**

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><p>Saying goodbye has never been an issue for her. Honestly, goodbyes were the easiest thing in her life because she never really had anything to miss or to genuinely say farewell to… Until Storybrooke, until Henry, until her parents. Now she can't imagine leaving their sides, but the good thing is she doesn't have to. She can stay in Storybrooke, and have her family and friends… for the most part.<p>

Emma solemnly walks along side her parents and Henry, trying not to think about the women walking a few paces behind them. Elsa and Anna, with Kristoff too, are holding tightly onto each other and reminiscing about something it sounds like, based off Anna's constant chatter and Elsa's occasional laugh. Emma resists the urge to slow her steps and join in with her new friends. _No_, she scolds herself as the thought crosses her mind once again, _they're leaving to go home. You already got too attached. _A painful pang from old wounds keeps thudding in her chest, reminding her that getting close to people in the first place is a gamble. This situation reminds her of Lily, and the whirlwind friendship that ended in an incredible amount of pain for her. _That was completely different, and you know it. _The voice inside her head is harsh. _Elsa going home to where she belongs is different than Lily's lies about where she belongs. _

"It's where they belong… not with me." Emma absent-mindedly murmurs under her breath. Unfortunately for her, Snow, who is walking beside her, hears just enough of it.

"Emma, what do you mean?" The realization that Snow heard her forcibly pulls her from her thoughts. She looks up with a well practiced innocently confused face (when she got better and it actually worked, it helped her survive the foster system) at Snow.

"What, mom?" As soon as she says the word mom and sees Snow smile at her, Emma realizes that using the term, and her expression, have distracted Snow enough for Snow to shake it off. They continue walking towards the house Mr. Gold described had the portal inside, the portal to Arendelle.

"So this is it, huh? The way home?" Anna's words make the dull pain in her chest thud harder. _Stop being selfish by wanting them to stay!_ The group stops in front of the large, gated house. While she realizes Snow and Charming turned around to nod a comfortingly reply, she can't make herself face her friend. After a slight second of holding out on her part, Emma can feel a pair of eyes bore into the back of her head. She can feel her friend's blue eyes begging for her to turn and give her a comforting sign, but Emma can't do it.

"Gold said he disenchanted the cloaking spell so the door to get you guys home should be right inside." Emma is impressed that her own voice held strong and void of any negative emotion. Despite herself, she won't reveal how much the thought of Elsa leaving hurts. She won't do that to Elsa, with the realization Elsa would feel guilty for leaving. She doesn't want that.

"Emma-"

"That Mr. Gold sure is nice." Emma heard Elsa call her name, only to let Anna speak. She lets out a quiet sigh and begins the short walk to the house. Her family, and the Arendellian's follow her.

The cold of the door handle bites at her palm. She hesitates for a few seconds, hopefully giving everyone else the idea that she's waiting for them when in reality she is gathering herself. _Keep in control. You can let go when you're alone. _As soon as Henry is right beside her, Emma opens the door. The sound of the old door swinging open echoes in the empty house. She doesn't realize she hasn't moved until Snow's gentle hand on her elbow nudges her into motion. Holding her breath, she turns the corner to look into the living room. She feels a twinge of happiness as she lets out the breath that there's no door. However, the sight of Henry eagerly dashing into a study room takes that selfish happiness away. As she enters the grand room, her face falls at the sight of the crested door.

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><p><strong>One chapter down, one more to go. <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**So here is part two! I tried to stay as close as I could to what actually happened in the show, but I had to add stuff because it needed it.**

**Also, warning: it gets awesomely sappy :)**

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><p>Anna excitedly gasps, "Crocuses! Arendelle crocuses! Elsa, we're almost home" and rushes past her. She, however, is slow to enter the room. The dull pain slowly feels more like her childish fears of being alone is clawing at her chest. <em>You have your family here, and other friends. <em>She tries to keep focused on that thought- of not being alone- but it's not fear of the same kind of alone; Elsa was the first person she's genuinely connected with who has dealt with magic and vulnerabilities in such a similar way. For these past two weeks, she's felt like she has found _her person_ (no one in Storybrooke would get the reference to the TV show "Greys Anatomy"). Her person is someone who she knows will always be there and is her best friend. For a while, Mary Margaret seemed to be her possible person, but that went sideways in the best way. Elsa had so much potential be that, and oh how much she wanted that.

"So this is it." Elsa's voice is soft, slightly hesitant. Emma didn't realize she was within a comfortable arm's reach of Elsa until Elsa's slightly cold hand grabs her own.

"Appears so." Emma responds, and she hates that slivers of emotion are evident. Elsa's hand squeezes her, clearly an attempt to gain her full attention. It takes her a moment to finally look at Elsa. Elsa's bright blue eyes look sadly into hers. It feels like too much. Luckily she times her glance away right as Anna begins to talk.

"Thank you so much for taking care of my sister." Emma feels her chest tighten. She wants to say Elsa watched out for her too, providing a desperately need friendship, but she doesn't. Instead, all she can offer is a half-hearted

"It's kinda what we do." The comment is too casual, too light on the impact Elsa has made on her. Elsa saved her from getting rid of her magic… and she's going to lose Elsa. _She belongs as Queen of Arendelle, not stuck here. _Emma still isn't looking at Elsa, so the Queen grabs her other hand. After finally looking at Elsa, she struggles to her emotions. She can't make it harder for Elsa to leave. _You saying you would miss her or crying wouldn't change anything for her. You helped her save her sister and became a happenstance friend; it's not hard for her to leave. Elsa's probably good at this goodbye._

She doesn't really pay attention to what anyone else is saying. The thoughts circling around her head and the sadness growing in her is too distracting. Emma worries that her eyes are revealing too much about her emotional state when Elsa grips her hands harder.

"Emma, thank you for everything. You've done… so much. I can never repay you." She can hear Elsa's emotions slipping too. She doesn't know why, but that takes her by surprise. Maybe, just maybe Elsa doesn't want to say goodbye to her either. And just like that, they are hugging. She can't remember who initiated it, and she doesn't give care. Closing her eyes, Emma pulls Elsa closer. She doesn't mind that she's starting to get cold from Elsa's already slightly cold body temperature dropping even more. Her thoughts about why Elsa's getting colder is answered by the sound of Elsa's staggering breathes. She doesn't know whether to be comforted or to be in more pain at Elsa quietly crying. Elsa buries her head into Emma's shoulder and neck. Emma feels Elsa's tears on her shoulder. It feels like too much. Her heart is overwhelmed with the idea that Elsa cares for her as much as she does for Elsa. She is her person's person. (**Author note**: tough concept to grasp, I know, but you can get it)

For what feels like minutes is actually just seconds of time that they spend embracing each other. Now Emma knows she isn't the one to end the hug.

"It's time." Elsa says as she steps away from Emma, her blue eyes revealing nothing about the tears shed. It takes Emma a moment to control herself, and to not cry. _What are you doing? It's fine to cry and to be upset now! She's going to miss you too. _Once again, she tries to ignore the voices in her head (probably her conscious). Her heart aches more and more with each step she takes towards to door. She lets her hand rest on the doorknob, her inner turmoil betraying her will to be strong.

Taking a deep breath, Emma opens door.

Anna and Kristoff walk by her and enter the portal hand in hand. Right as Elsa reaches the edge of the door, about to enter the portal, when Emma realizes she needs to say something more and grabs Elsa's hand.

"Wait!" Elsa quickly turns to face her, and in that moment she sees Elsa as Queen Elsa of Arendell. _You can't be selfish. She's destined for greater things than Storybrooke. _Emma falters and instead says the first thing on her mind.

"I'm not good at goodbyes. I haven't had to say goodbye to people I care about or who care about me. And the very few times I've had to, my stomach sits in knots and each time the tears sting more than I remembered... So I really didn't want to say think about saying goodbye to you. But I can't watch you leave without saying it… goodbye Elsa."

Elsa is immediately embracing her again. She feels the harsh sting of tears brimming her eyes and finally lets it all go. Her body trembles slightly as she cries harder, resting her head on Elsa's shoulder. However much she wants to keep hugging Elsa, Emma knows time is precious so she sucks in her ragged breaths and tries to stop trembling. She tries to let Elsa go, but Elsa tugs her closer for a second.

"This isn't goodbye."

And with those words still echoing in Emma's ear, Elsa's gone.

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><p><strong>There it is! I told you it be sappy. I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you readers have enjoyed it too. And are inspired to create Elsa and Emma friendship stories as well! <strong>


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